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Designed by merchants and local law enforcement, “Leads Online” provides “rapid electronic access to transactions from thousands of reporting businesses, such as pawn shops, gold buyers, scrap metal processors and eBay listings,” Saudino said.
“The goal of this program is to streamline coordination and communication between law enforcement and vendors in order to reduce the hassles of reporting, and get the stolen property back to its rightful owner,” the sheriff said.
Owners of legitimate businesses will be able to register their stores and receive training in entering daily sales information into the database, which can be accessed by police and prosecutors.
Forfeited funds are paying for the $44,000 pilot program the sheriff said.
Nine Bergen police departments and the county prosecutor’s office, along with sheriff’s officers, have been trained in using the program:
Allendale Police Department Englewood Police Department Fort Lee Police Department Hackensack Police Department Norwood Police Department Rochelle Park Police Department Paramus Police Department Teaneck Police Department Tenafly Police Department
Saudino said the system makes good on a re-election campaign promise to “to combat the drug addiction epidemic spreading across Bergen County and the region.”
“Individuals who commit property crimes, such as burglaries, use pawn shops and gold buyers to buy their processes and often use the profits from these transactions to fuel their drug habits,” he said.
“We believe that these services will provide a significant improve over the current reporting process in Bergen County, saving both time and taxpayers dollars.”
PUBLIC SAFETY: The latest phone scam targeting unsuspecting victims involves callers claiming to have warrants for their arrests, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino warned this morning. READ MORE ….
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